Orchard ladder



H. A. THOMPSON.

ORCHARD LADDER. APPLICATION FILED ocr. 26, 192!- 1,438,411 1 Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

3 Henry/4i Thom 06o wz I Patented Hes l2, i922.

s. r w tr ll ll is QRCHABD LADDER.

Application filed October 26, 1921. Serial No. 510,569.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. THOMPSON, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at Dewdney, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Orchard Ladders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a ladder which has been particularly designed for the picking of fruit from trees or for pruning or spraying the upper branches of the same.

It comprises a ladder formed in two sections articulated together and tapering in width from an extended base, to a pole shaped end that may be placed within a crotch or against the branches of atree, with means for bracing the two sections at any desired angle in relation to one another.

The invention is particularly described in the following specification, eference being made to the drawings by which it is ac companicd, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the ladder as applied to a tree.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the two sections when fully extended.

The device comprises a lower section composed of side rails 2 with cross rungs 8, the

space between the posts tapering from a width at the bottom sufficient to afford. the required stability to approximately half that width at the top. The rails l of the upper section are pin-connected at 5 outside the smaller end of the lower section, and at a distance from the pivotal connect-ion 5 approximately equal. to the length of the lower section are ioined together to form a single pole 6 which extends approximately half as far again beyond the junction. 01' the up per section may be made from a single piece 6 medially sawn and. spread apart to form the side rails l.

The rungs 7 between the rails of the upper section are preferably relatively wide, so as to afford somewhat of a platform when in use, with suihcient spaces between them to afiord a foot hold when used as a ladder.

These two ladder sections being articulated at 5 may be secured at any desired angle in relation to one another by braces 10 pivotally connected at 11 to the inner sides of the lower rails 2 adjacent their lower end and connected by bolts 12 to the rails of the upper section, the angle of one ladder section in relation to the other being adjustable by providing a series of holes 13 in the rails 4 for the bolts 12.

In use, the ends of the rails 2 of the lower section are placed on the ground and the pole end 6 is placed in. a crotch or against a branch of the tree, the braces 10 having first been adjusted to secure the two sections at a suitable angle.

To avoid injury to the bark, of a tree the pole end 6 may be sheated as at 15 with a yielding material, such sheet rubber, which may conveniently be provided. in an old inner tube of an automobile tire.

Where the ladder is to be used on young trees the branches of which may not be strong enough to support the pole end 6, the same may be supported from the ground in a crotch pole 16.

This ladder is not only a stable and con venient one for orchard use, but one that is exceptionally light for conveyance from place to place. I

l do not desire to be confined to the particular construction of the ladder or of the manner of connecting the braces as the same may be varied to suit the manufacturers requirements.

Having now particularly described my invention, I hereby declare that what I claim as new and desire to be protected in by Letters Patent, is:

1. An orchard ladder, comprising a ladder section consisting of side rails spaced apart wider at one end than the other with cross rungs between them, a platform section consisting of side rails which are pivotally connected at one end to the narrower end of the ladder section, and toward the other end are drawn together to form a pole, said section having transverse pieces secured across the rails and spaced close together to form a platform, a brace pin-connected to each side rail of the ladder section adjacent its wider end and adjustably connected to the corresponding rail of the platform section to nected at one end to the narrower end of the ladder section and toward the other end are drawn together to form a pole, said section having transverse pieces secured across the rails and spaced close together to form a platform, a brace pin-connected to each side rail of the ladder section adjacent its Wider end and adjustably connected to the corresponding rail of the platform section to support the same at an obtuse angle With the ladder section, and av rubber sheathing around the pole for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I afi ix my signature.

HENRY ALIS'TERITH OMP'SON. 

